An Arab summit, subdued in the absence of many leaders, called on Lebanon to elect a consensus president and re-endorsed an Arab initiative for peace with Israel with conditions. The Damascus Declaration also urged Iraq “to disband all militias without exception... and speed up the building and training of the Iraqi armed and security forces... in preparation for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.” The leaders called on Arab states to bolster their diplomatic representation in Iraq by opening up embassies in the war-torn country. On Lebanon, “Arab leaders stress their commitment to the Arab initiative to solve the Lebanese crisis, and call on Lebanese leaders to elect consensus candidate General Michel Sleiman at the time agreed.” They also called in their resolutions for the strained ties between Lebanon and its former powerbroker Syria to be put “on the right path”. Feuding Lebanese politicians should “decide on the basis for forming a national unity cabinet,” in line with an Arab League initiative to end Lebanon's worst political crisis since the end of a 1975-1990 civil war. The two rival factions agreed in principle to elect army chief Sleiman as their next president but they have been feuding over the formation of a new government. A parliamentary session to elect a new president has been set for April 22, after being postponed 17 times. The summit “stressed its insistence on maintaining the Arab initiative for peace which represents the main launchpad for resolving the different aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict,” according to the final resolutions. “For the Arab side to continue to offer the Arab peace initiative is tied to Israel executing its commitments in the framework of international resolutions to achieve peace in the region,” a Damascus Declaration said. The Arab initiative of 2002 offers Israel peace and normal relations with all Arab countries in return for withdrawal from all territory captured in the 1967 war. Successive Israeli governments have either ignored or rejected the offer, which would require Israel to dismantle settlements. The Saudi-inspired initiative for peace with Israel was first launched at a Beirut summit in 2002 and reactivated in Riyadh last year. Israeli leaders have spoken of the “positive aspects” of the Arab initiative but it was never formally endorsed by the Jewish state, which rejects a clause calling for the return of Palestinian refugees. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in a message, said the Arab world “had hoped that prior to the summit a long-awaited settlement to the crisis... would be reached.” Arab leaders affirmed their commitment to cementing Arab solidarity to ensure Arab national security and guarantee safety, sovereignty and the right of self-defense and prevent intervention in their internal affairs. The leaders also affirmed in the declaration the commitment to implement the decisions of Arab summits and Arab common intuitions, and to enhance the role of the Arab League to achieve the Arab nation's goals. The leaders decided to support the steps taken under the Arab League to develop the Arabian joint work and work on surpassing Arab disputes through earnest and dialogue. They also decided to consider the higher interests of the Arab nation as a priority over differences. They decided to firmly encounter any external interventions that aim to inflame Arab differences. They also decided to take necessary measures and stand together against political and economic campaigns imposed by some countries on any Arab state. The declaration emphasized on unifying Arab stand toward issues discussed in international assemblies and conferences. __
